Mistaken For Burglar, Man Moving Into Home Says Cops Assaulted Him

A man who claimed that police officers assaulted him outside his Clayton County, Ga. home late last week while he was moving in is coming forward with more details about the incident. Fox 5 Atlanta reports that Dhoruba Bin-Wahad, 69, has filed a complaint against Clayton County Police with his legal team producing video that supports his statements that their response was violent and excessive.

Police responding to a burglary call approached Bin-Wahad as he was entering his newly-rented residence. A neighbor caught the interaction on a cell phone video cam, which allegedly shows the police slamming Bin-Wahad down to the ground with force. A version of the video, published by AJC.com, is below.

Flanked by his attorneys at a press conference on Monday, Bin-Wahad explained that he assumed the cops were approaching his residence with their guns drawn because they were in pursuit of a suspect he didn’t see. At no time did he realize they were coming to detain him, he said. Bin-Wahad said he was cooperative and complied with the officers’ orders, although their reports say otherwise.

“The way they treated me is indicative of how the police behave in the Black and poor community,” said Bin-Wahad.

With the explosive angle of race attached to the case, this will certainly be a developing story in the days to come. Clayton County Police officials have yet to address the case, but local news outlet Fox 5 did obtain reports from their offices which allege that Bin-Wahad was combative. The video appears to tell a different tale.

Community activists in the region say they plan to march on Clayton County Police headquarters this Thursday.